Fire and Darkness
by Fabius Maximus
Summary: The Final book, and sequal to The Chrysanthemum and the Sword.  Ron and Kim have returned to their home... but their home, to say nothing of the world, may not be around much longer...  The peniultimate chapter is now up!
1. Default Chapter

Book III: Fire and Darkness

_All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,  
And study of revenge, immortal hate._

_Paradise__ Lost._

**Tokyo international airport.**

The Possible clan was gathered tightly together, along with Ron, and Yori and Hirotaka standing by, albeit slightly apart. Mr. Possible looked at the status board, and finally over at his daughter.

"We…could wait." He said. "I'm certain they would understand…" Kim smiled at him and shook her head.

"No Dad… If I wait I think I'll lose my nerve."

"KP lose her nerve? Never." Ron said, grinning… and looking like _he_ was about to lose his nerve. Once again in jeans and a casual shirt, Ron and Rufus looked the same as the day before the nightmare had begun…unless you looked and saw his new poise.

Kim looked the same as well…except for one thing that kept drawing her fathers gaze down.

The understated engagement ring Ron had given her… which Kim now wore. A "Someday" ring, for when they were getting married. Mr. Possible had given a mental sigh at that. At least they weren't going to try and get married at 17!

"Well, I'm not certain about you arriving with no Passports…" He continued.

"Mr. Possible?" Kim's father blinked, looking at the two men in suits who had appeared by him.

"Yes?"

"The embassy asked me to provide these to your daughter and companion." Mr. Possible looked at the two passports, even stamped with the _entry_ of Kim and Ron into Japan.

"I ah…"

"Will you confirm receipt?"

"Yes."

"Good day, than." And the two, without a word left. Kim looked at Ron.

"Mr. Barkin?"

"Guess so….how _did_ he know?" Kim shrugged.

"Secret Ninja school teacher arts?"

"Sounds good." Mr. Possible was still looking at the very _last_ official obstacle to his daughter's entry in to the United States and sighed.

"Flight 231 Boarding," The family and friends looked at each other, and headed to the entry way…all of them reluctantly.

* * *

**LANGELY VIRGINIA**

"Director Barkin!" the officer called.

"Yes?" Steve asked, putting aside his fourth folio of maps of the day.

"Sir, you're needed in the situation room upstairs." He said, referring to the CIA Situation Room. Barkin got up and followed the aid. There were a _lot_ of DDO's, he noticed—national and regional both. This certainly wasn't anything that involved only one nation.

Inside the room, Barkin took his seat—back and behind the others (Paranormal threats was not nearly as prestigious a position as say, Russian affairs). The Director of the CIA got up at the podium, and didn't bother with the pleasantries.

"Over the past 6 hours, there have been a series of _extremely_ worrisome events taking place." He called up a map.

"First of all, the Russian Navy has ordered a full scale surge of all their nuclear missile subs—without any pre-warning. In at least two cases, we know that subs left with less than half their crews." Barkin leaned forward—for the cash strapped Russian navy to do _that_ was nothing short of a miracle.

"Down here—the Chinese air and sea defense units are on full alert—but not against Russia—our sources in Beijing claim that some of their high level officials have convinced themselves that they're about to be invaded by Taiwan!" A disbelieving sound filled the room.

The director continued pointing out parts of the map. Here India and Pakistan were ordering their missiles' deployed, there, Egypt was massing her forces on the Israeli border—even in regions seldom faced with major conflict it was occurring.

"And last but not least, there is some information that the Argentineans may be trying to take the Falklands again."

"How sir?" An officer asked, "We'd be seeing the preparation."

"There is no preparation." The director replied. "In fact, in none of these cases do we have any sign that this is a part of a plan, on anyone's part. Just officials reacting, in ways that quite frankly make no sense." The temperature in the room dropped nearly twenty degrees, Barkin thought. Russia alone had nearly 6 _thousand_ nuclear weapons that could hit the U.S., and if the men in charge of those weapons were no longer sane…

"That's not the only thing." He continued. "We are, of course, tasked with foreign intelligence only, but my associates at both the FBI and Homeland Security have informed me that over the last several days, they've been seeing a very ominous spike in hate crimes and the amount of chatter between domestic terrorist groups." There was a stunned silence in the Room.

"Sir…" DDO Russia said, "Do they believe there is any connection between those events and the foreign situation?"

"Yes. But not what, and not how." The director said. "It isn't just with them—you may have noticed a few missing faces today—last night the DDO's for Libya and Iraq became convinced that they were going to launch an attack on us. They're under sedation…but so far there is no evidence of any drug use or normal psychological breakdown. The only thing the shrinks have been able to agree on is that we're seeing a process of disassociation…or inability to empathize, coupled with increased suspicion.

"Psychosis" another agent said.

"Correct…and if you think Global Justice is going to help us… three hours ago we received scattered reports of something going on... that something being the mother of all gunfights, evidently. There have been no further communications from them, or any subsidiary headquarters since then." Barkin noted that even now, he didn't seem overly unhappy about that—GJ was largely seen as a bad joke at the CIA and NSA. Still… if something had taken them out…

Barkin had a bad feeling that it was GJ itself that had done the "taking out." He raised his hand.

"Yes, Director Barkin?"

"Has our own nuclear arsenal been secured?"

"We had more pre-warning…so yes, it is…as much as possible." The director didn't go into the specifics and nobody asked. "But it also makes us more vulnerable to a first strike…or whatever other form of attack we may be facing. I need you all to hit every source, every possible lead… Gentlemen, we have a news blackout, and for once both parties are cooperating, but that won't last. Quite simply, the world is closer to world war now than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis." The meeting broke up, with people heading for their offices, and the director caught up with Barkin.

"President's waiting, Steve. Let's go."

"For what sir?"

"It concerns those two students whose homework I have so carefully not been noticing you grading."

* * *

**MIDDLETON**

Kim started and woke up from where she'd fallen asleep, leaning against Ron, who had also fallen asleep. With one short layover in Hawaii, they'd spent the trip nonstop, and despite the offer of DVD and free inflight meals, both she and Ron had quickly become bored.

Or rather become bored of being worried.

_Is this right? I have to do it. I can't have my **life** back until I do it. _

_But what if they put you in jail? For years…or longer. Ron say's he'll wait…is that fair to him?_

_But if Ron wants a life, he deserves one…not on the run. _

"Hey KP." Ron said holding a snack pack, "Preserved peanut for your thoughts?" Kim laughed, and shook her head, then laughed again as Rufus took the bag and devoured it.

"It'll be OK, KP." Ron said, in a quieter voice, not disturbing the sleeping parents in the seats behind them.

"Ron…" Kim said, "Promise me one thing."

"What?"

"If… they put me in jail for a long time… don't waste your life…. You know…waiting."

"I won't…but it won't be wasting it to wait for you." He said softly. Kim started to protest, but Ron silenced her with a grin. "Trust me KP."

* * *

"If you'll look to the left, you can see the lights of the Middleton International Airport, where we will be landing in a few minutes. For you jet laggers, it's 7:45 PM" The pilot spoke over the intercom. Their flight was coming to an end.

* * *

Jonathon Possible started awake. Ron and Kim were talking and the plane was moving into its final descent. He remembered the last conversation he'd had about Kim…with the family lawyer, 12 hours ago.

"Jonathon…you need to keep her in Japan."

"I can't Stan. She's determined."

"Well…" His lawyer sighed. "Jonathon, I'm not a criminal defense attorney, but I know a few. I think we could get this thrown out of court—certainly use the event that sparked her use of drugs as a defense…and in any case a jury will probably acquit on its prejudices after all."

"I think she knows that… Kim intends to plead guilty." Jonathon held the phone away from his ear until his old friend calmed down.

"Jonathon—I know she's a hero, but _sit_ on her. Does she know that assault on a police officer involving bodily injury carries a minimum of 5 years in jail? That there were six and if she gets an anal judge, she might do up to 30 years, plus anything else? Even with parole, she'll be in her 30's before she gets out!" Mr. Possible sighed.

"I know." He said, "But she is certain." He paused, "Could we try for a pa-"

"Pardon? Don't hold your breath—lots of people see her as a vigilante…and pardoning vigilantes for beating up cops isn't high on the governors list." Another pause, "Jonathon—even if that wasn't the case, this governor is a real hard ass—especially in the matter of pardons. I'm not saying it won't happen, but if he believes she pled guilty expecting him to do a favor…uh-uh, bad, very bad idea."

"So what's your advice."

"Take her home, and wait until I can get a criminal attorney, and then we turn her in. I'm going out on a long limb here, but I think I can get an unofficial agreement from the PD to give us a few days. No more. Sorry Jonathon—I wish the news was better."

* * *

Mr. Possible shook his head at the memory and looked over at Ron and Kim, who were talking. The twins were asleep…which explained why the DVD unit in the seat in front of them was still intact. He turned and found his wife was looking over at him.

"Thinking?" She asked.

"Yes… Dear." He paused, "Why is it that our daughter is doing the right, moral, lawful thing… and right now I want to hit her over the head, tie her up, and send her with Yori and Hirotaka right back to Japan?" Ms. Possible tried to smile, but now that they were coming back, it was a fragile, worried smile.

"Because great minds think alike, dear?"

* * *

_Pain.__ There was only pain. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear. Where was she? What was she?_

The bus jounced over the road back from the game, and the Maddogs team and Cheerleading squad was tired—but happy. Another victory. Tara was talking to her other friends, who were congratulating the cheer captain on her routine. Bonnie was leaning against the window, looking out. Given how much effort she'd expended to get that place, she sometimes wondered why it didn't bother her that Tara had it. The school shrink would probably ask her that.

Again.

Bonnie shook her head. He didn't understand—few of them did. Ms. Possible did, and Bonnie knew that Kim's mother would take the secret to her grave. Everyone, even Kim's friends, thought that Bonnie had survived a dreadful experience, and had to be reacting to the fact that she'd almost been murdered by a crazed psychopath.

What they missed is that Kim had seen Bonnie as her enemy…like any of her rogue's gallery. Bonnie remembered the days at home, partially sedated… and then the realization that had struck her.

She _had_ been Kim's enemy. How much had Kim done…how much had she worked, days always full of work, never able to say no…

_And I was always happy to add my little two cents to it._ The cheerleader thought. When they'd been stuck together she'd seen a different side of Kim, as Kim had of her…but too little, too late, evidently. Everyone said it was just the drugs, but it hadn't been completely… Kim had struck out at another enemy who had done nearly as much to make her life hell as anyone else.

_And-what the hell?_ Bonnie jerked upright as the bus nearly hit a crawling form on the street. Their post Barkin teacher, a sweet but really, really ineffectual woman looked out in surprise.

"I…think we should stay in here until the police arrive." She said.

"Sure….not." Bonnie said. "What if whoever it is needs help?" She paused, and Queen Bee Bonnie took control. "Brick, Tara? Let's go." Her boyfriend grabbed the first aid kit, and the three left with Ms. Wilson following them.

"uh…uh…" The figure was moaning, or gasping. Bonnie blinked. There looked to be a slick trail behind the crawling…woman, with that hair, and it smelled coppery.

_Oh God. _That was blood. And it was in a circle. She'd been crawling in a _circle._

"Ma'am…are you OK?" Tara said, and turned the light on the form.

And screamed. Ms. Wilson passed out. Brick turned his head and threw up at the sight of that terrible, ruined form. Bonnie couldn't tell what was clothing and blood covered flesh, and _how_ did a human body have so much blood in it. She seemed to notice the light, and tried to raise her hands to it, whether to defend, or plead, Bonnie couldn't tell.

"Oh My God." Bonnie gasped, there were _holes _in her wrists.

"he…eh….he…" She said, and Bonnie remembered the last time she'd seen that hair, because she'd never seen that ruin of a face.

"_Shego?"_

"Uh!" Bonnie ran forward, on legs that seemed made of rubber, and Tara and Brick followed her.

"Wh-what do we do?" Tara asked. Bonnie was already on her celphone.

"911? This is an emergency." She said, in a voice that sounded much steadier than she was.

* * *

"Well…we're back in America." Kim's father said with false jocularity. Kim nodded, absently. Now, they had two things to do. Go home and see…

_"Ronald Stoppable!"_The cry came from across the terminal, and they looked up to see Ron's parents and Rabbi Katz standing, looking at him. Ron now looked nervous. His parents charged him, kissed hugged, told him of their eternal love for their only son and threatened him with death and destruction if he ever, _ever_ did that to them again. Kim noticed that Ron was getting that increase in eye moisture, and like he had for her, politely ignored it. Ron then looked over at Kim and decided to take the plunge immediately.

"Mom, Dad? I've asked Kim to marry me."

Blink, Blink.

"Mr. and Ms. P already know."

Blink.

"And Kim's agreed."

Blink.

They looked at Ron. Looked at the worried Kim who had come up by him. Then looked at Ron—worried, but not flinching, waiting for whatever might come. His parents paused, looked at each other, and looked back.

"So. Have you set a date for the wedding yet?" Ron mutely shook his head, and Kim walked up to put her arm on his shoulder.

"It's going to be a pretty long…engagement, Mr. Stoppable." Kim said. "I'm here to turn myself in." Ron's parents looked at each other, and then his mother walked up to Kim.

"Well, don't you run off and do that alone, Kimberly Ann Possible… We want to be with our future daughter in law to give support." She paused, "And don't go assuming the worst." She looked at her, "You are not alone." Kim looked at the two families and nodded.

"Thank you." Then the father turned to Ron.

"Ronald…I'm assuming that the Shego lady was behind the, ah, transfer of the Naco money?" Ron nodded. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that _his_ family had just seemed to agree to this.

"And…you've had it for all this time?"

Another nod.

"And _this _time it stayed in the bank." Ron grinned.

"Safe and earning interest." He said.

"And no "The Ron" ?" Husband turned to wife, and looked defeated.

"Pay up." Ron's mother said.

* * *

They were on their way to the terminal curb where the cabs waited, when Ms. Possible's purse started making an unnerving jangle. Her mother reached down and pulled up the celphone and glared at it.

"Dr. Possible, and remember, I'm off the roster for this week." Then she paused and blinked. "I understand." She said in a different voice. "I'm at the airport and I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Dear?" Mr. Possible said. His wife looked at him soberly.

"All the lead surgeons are being called in. They have a bad one." From his wife, the brain surgeon, no more need to be said.

"I understand." He said. The two turned to Kim and Ron, when all of a sudden, both of the teens PDA's started bleeping. They pulled them out.

"What is it, Wade?" Kim asked.

"Kyoko? What's wrong?"

The answer came back, identical words from two different throats.

"It's Shego."

At that, any suggestion of going home was dropped. Ms. Possible took off in the first cab, and the rest of the family piled in after her, Yori and Hirotaka trailing along after them. One the trip, Kim tried to find out more information about what had happened, and Ron tried to calm down the distraught Kyoko.

* * *

Inside the hospital, Ms. Possible dropped her coat and quickly robed. Fortunately, she thought, she'd caught _some_ sleep on the way over, but she was still in very lousy shape for any sort of operation. The main assistant surgeon was with her.

"What're the main injuries?" He shook his head.

"Better to ask what isn't. Her heart stopped 3 times on the way here, and the paramedics had to restart it. We're here for her brain, and I stopped counting broken bones at 60. This is Shego, you know." She nodded. "Well, according to the file, she has some kind of comet power—and that's the only damned reason I can think of that she's alive." He shrugged, "And for some reason all the internet links to Global Justice are down, so we don't have anything else." He then pulled out the more detailed information and Ms. Possible kept scrubbing while she tried to fight off the shock.

Compound fractures of all limbs, broken collar bone, fractured skull. Right eye socket fractured and fragments of bone driven into the eye. Pelvis fractured. Several ribs broken, including one that had been driven into her right lung, leading to its collapse. Lacerated Pancreas.

On the "minor" list: Cheekbones broken. Nose Broken. Several fingers broken. Possible damage to the uterus. Two holes, possibly made by the same object, driven through the wrists.

On the "odd" list.

"These burns—what are they?"

"Hell if we know, and I include the burn specialists at every other hospital we contacted. They have the same characteristics of both radiation and chemical burns, but there's no sign of contamination. Not only that…" He continued, pulling another sheet, as they walked down the hallway, "She's got what look like very early forms of cancer, all co-located with the burns." Dr. Possible purged that from her mind. Cancer was a long term problem, and Shego would have to survive the _night_ to worry about it.

Then they were in the surgery. Shego lay on the table, the respirator and other equipment keeping her alive, other surgeons working on her torso. Normally you would _never_ do all this at once, but there was no time. Her skull had already been opened, head clamped securely in place, revealing the gray matter of Shego's brain. To most people that was a topic that brought back horrible thoughts of mad scientists—but the brain had no pain receptors and could survive being exposed.

It could not survive being crushed against the unyielding bone of the skull, as the swelling from its merciless beating took hold. Doctor Possible looked at it for a moment, the ugly blotches of ruptured blood vessels marring the normal healthy look. She didn't look at Shego's face—at least the part of it that was visible, more than once. In all her years of brain surgery, she'd never seen anyone to whom the phrase, "Beaten into an unrecognizable pulp" applied, until now. Without pausing, she grabbed a tool from the tray.

"James." She told her assistant.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to seal off the main ruptures by hand—get the micro waldo's ready so we can go in and start working on the smaller ruptures and internal damage." He nodded and started getting the complex device ready. Looking up at the monitor, Dr. Possible prepared to engage in her trade.

_To be continued._


	2. Talking on the Edge of Night

Chapter II.

**Reconciliations and Conversations

* * *

**

_Middleton Hospital_

"Hold him!" The orderly shouted as another patient broke free in the emergency room.

"I CAN HEAR HIM! LET ME GO TO HIM!"

"Jesus… what is this, lunatics' night out?"

"Hell if I know, but every hospital in town is getting the freakshow parade." The emergency room was busier then Kim had ever seen it. Injuries from fights, attempted suicides… everything. Even some of the nurses looked frazzled, leaning against the walls.

A few nurses recognized her, and blinked—whether from the fact of seeing her or the fact that she looked nothing like she had the last time, Kim couldn't say.

"KIM!" Kim blinked at the shout and turned, and there…was…

"OHMIGOD! MONIQUE!" Kim shouted. The two friends hugged squealing, like well…school girls. Monique was wearing the uniform of one of the hospital volunteers, but right now had nothing to do—none of the patrons were those the hospital wanted a kid near.

"Kim!" Monique said, "You… Kim!" She laughed, "Where have you been, girl?"

"Japan." Kim said, grinning, "I had some people help me." Monique smiled.

"You look better." She said, "Let me guess—your parents fixed that problem with the cops and that's why your back." Kim barely flinched.

"Yeah…that problem's been solved." She said. Monique looked over at Ron as he came up and stared at the way Ron took Kim around the waist.

"You two finally decided to become an item?"

"Yeah…" Ron said. "Monique… about Shego…were you here when they brought her in?" Monique's face became sober.

"Kinda—but they didn't even stop in here—they took her straight to the operating theatre." She paused, "The bus was coming back from a game when they found her—and well… everyone was pretty freaked."

"Who called in?" Ron asked.

"Bonnie." Kim's stomach did a quick flip flop.

"Bonnie's _here?_" She asked. Monique looked over at her, and nodded with a shrewd expression on her face.

"So it was true." She said.

"What?"

"Rumor around the school was that you'd flipped out and tried to kill Bonnie, and only Barkin, Shego and you, Ron, saved her." She shrugged, "Mr. Barkin never came back to school, and well, neither did anyone else. None of the teachers would talk about it."

"What did Bonnie say?" Ron asked, curious in spite of himself.

"Bonnie? She said that you," pointing to Kim, " hadn't tried to hurt her, but that you were really freaked out over what…happened to you." Monique said, then continued, "And everyone knew about _that_. Anyway, Bonnie said that you really hadn't hurt her…so no big deal and why was everyone freaking over it." The attractive teen paused. "But she really _was_ freaked, Kim… she spent a lot of time with the school psychologist, and she didn't even _try_ for team captain." Giving a covert glance at Kim father and Ron's parents, "when her mom wasn't in town, Bonnie slept at your place, Kim. She had been sleeping at whatever friends' house she could, but I heard her mom found out and blew a gasket, and then _your_ mom arranged it so she could stay at your house."

_You go, Mom._ Kim thought sincerely.

"Where is Bonnie?" Kim asked.

"She's here, somewhere—she stuck around when they brought Shego in, 'cause she heard your parents were coming back."

"Does she?" Kim started.

"_Kim?"_ Bonnie's astonished gasp broke the silence, and Kim turned to see the teen in the same cheerleading outfit she'd worn 8 months and an eternity ago. Kim looked at her and tried to figure out what to say…while her stomach started doing acrobatics. Behind her, Ron and Monique watched intently.

_What do I say? How are you doing? How do I explain that I was so terrified I surrendered to a bottle of pills—and almost killed her?_ Kim saw the brief flinch in Bonnie's eyes. Afraid? Why not, Kim had given her more than enough reason to be.

_What do I say? Sorry I managed to help wreck your life? Didn't expect you to go so nuts you ran off and vanished, but hey, that was a little bonus to the job of being your personal little devil? _She could see Kim's throat as the teen swallowed. Uncertain… worried…what she'dwished her to be over months of plotting and backbiting…and had tried to unwish since then.

The two tried to meet each others eyes, failed, and then burst out, simultaneously.

"I'm sorry."

"Kim…" Bonnie said, "Where were you? Nobody could tell us anything."

"Ron and Shego took me to Japan." Kim said. "I… wasn't in very good shape." Bonnie remembered the crazy staring eyes, the _emptiness_ behind them and nodded. Kim continued. "How…how have you been doing?"

"Better." Bonnie said. "I… well, Kim… I mean, this…" She finally said it in a quick rush of words. "I've been sleeping in your room, sometimes…but I haven't messed with any of your stuff." Kim gave a smile.

"So not the drama… I know, and I…well I don't mind…"

"Good…" Bonnie looked behind her at Ron. _Wow._ "Can you come with me? I was camping out in the cafeteria… I want to hear everything."

"It's a long story…"

"I think we have time."

"What about Shego?" Ron said, walking forward. Bonnie shook her head.

"She looked…." The teen paled with the memory, "Ron, I wouldn't even have recognized her if it wasn't for her hair." Ron winced.

"She's in CCU." Monique offered, "And they probably won't know anything for a long time…they were calling in surgeons from all over Middleton—but I can call you if we hear anything." Yori and Hirotaka both walked up, staying on the fringe of the group.

"Kim-san…we will stay with your family." Yori said. "In case we hear anything." Kim nodded. One last look at her family, and she turned to Bonnie.

"Cafeteria?"

"Yeah. Foods' better than the school food."

"Blegh. _Anything _is better than the school food." The two walked off, and Ron sighed. Then he found himself grabbed and pulled around, with Monique looking at him.

"Okay spill it!"

"Spill what?" Ron said, looking innocent.

"Don't give me that—you were always Kim's friend, but when did you start knocking boots?" Ron blinked.

"Um…" Monique didn't give him a chance to regroup.

"Well, you're coming with me, and you are telling me _everything_." She said, pulling the unresisting Ron out of the lounge with her.

* * *

The Cafeteria was empty at this time of night—most patients asleep, and most staff busy with the downstairs. Kim looked out the window as _another _ambulance showed up.

"It's busy." She said. Bonnie nodded.

"Things have been getting kinda weird around here, Kim—you know that there's a 8 o'clock curfew?" Kim looked up and blinked.

"What?"

"Yeah. So many people were getting into fights..or going out and looking for fights, that they decided to put a curfew out."

"And I take it…it didn't work well."

"Not really." Bonnie said, and then got to the meat of the conversation. "Kim, what happened? You were taken to the hospital, and then we heard that Ron had kidnapped you, that you had kidnapped Ron, that Shego had kidnapped you both… and those were just the top three ideas. _Nobody_ at school would say anything, and Mr. Barkin just vanished!" Kim paused.

"I… can't say anything about Mr. Barkin, but I'll tell you everything that happened to me." Bonnie nodded. Kim started, from the beginning and continued…leaving very little (mostly involving Barkin and Ron) out. Bonnie twitched when Kim mentioned the detox she'd gone through and broke in.

"Ron…did that?"

"Yeah."

"You know that half my boyfriends freak if I have a runny nose?" Kim nodded.

"Ron's…" _hell with it._ "Ron saved me." Kim flatly said, "He gave everything up for me." Bonnie's eyes were drawn to the gold ring on Kim's finger.

"Is that a?"

"Yeah. Ron asked, I said yes."

"When are you going to…tie the knot?" Bonnie asked, looking slightly poleaxed.

"Maybe not for a while—maybe not for a long while." Kim said. Then she looked at Bonnie. "My turn. Tell me what happened to you…. I don't remember too much."

"Well, after you were taken away, the cops got me and Mr. Barkin." Bonnie said. "I got a lot of people asking me weird questions and I came back to school."

_That's not all._ Kim's eyes said. Bonnie sighed.

"And I had nightmares… every night to start with. Then when I was home alone. I'd go to sleep and then I'd 'wake up' and you'd be over me, and then I'd _really_ wake up." She gave a small grin. "I almost got grounded forever over that—I thought that a guy in the bed would help me…and I must have slept with half the football team." She paused, and sighed, "But guys seem to have an allergy to waking up next to a screaming woman…and when mom found out… ohh boy." She shrugged, "more visits with the school shrink, and then they wanted to give me _more _sleeping pills." Looking out the window, Bonnie watched as several police cars tore out of the parking lot, on their way to a call. "Your mom came over and really read everyone the riot act."

"She did?" Kim asked.

"Sure did—and I kinda…eves dropped." Bonnie said with a slight grin. "Anyway, your mom decided that I'd stay at your house…when nobody was home at mine." Kim nodded. Bonnie's parents were in and out due to their jobs—something that Bonnie had often enjoyed.

"What happened?"

"Well, first thing that happened, was that your mom found all my sleeping pills and poured them down the sink." Bonnie said, a slight snark in her voice, "_And_ she didn't pay me for them." Kim grinned at that image. Then Bonnie became more serious. "So she'd sit in the room until she was certain I was asleep. If I started to get twitchy, she'd wake me up and we'd go have some hot coco." There was a wistfulness in Bonnies' voice at that. Kim grinned.

"What about the Tweebs?" All wistfulness vanished.

"They are the most evil creatures on the planet!" Bonnie said, "how did you survive them?"

"Even when they're trying to be good?"

_"Especially _when they're trying to be good!" Bonnie said. "They're like some evil munchkins… with no sense of timing!" Kim found herself laughing at that. The laughter died off.

"So." Bonnie asked, "Are you out of trouble?"

"No." Kim said. "I…I'm here to turn myself in, A glance at her finger, "That's why it may be a long engagement…. I might be…in jail for a while."

"That's bull!" Bonnie said, than raised her voice. "Yeah, you freaked out, big deal a'lot of people do." Kim shrugged.

"I saw some of the news reports…a lot of people think that I might try and get off based on my 'good deeds'."

"They're idiots. I could've told them _you'd_ be an idiot and fall on your sword." Bonnie abruptly got a ghostly grin. "Heh—who said English lit never helped—I finally got to use that stupid phrase." But then she refocused on the problem. "Kim, look—lots of people think you did good—so why help the ones who want to hang you?"

"Because…" Kim paused. "Because I have to do it. Not for them. For me."

* * *

"And…that was when I proposed to her." Ron finished. Monique was a study in glee.

"Oh, My God." She said, "You told her dad that you were sleeping with his daughter…and then you proposed the _next day_?" She practically squealed in delight. "I'm surprised he let you live!" Monique then bounced to her next question.

"When are you getting hitched?" She asked.

"Umm…" Ron paused, "We didn't set any date. Kim's worried that well…" Ron looked around. "That the thing with the judge won't go well."

"She said sh-" Monique broke off. "Oh God. She doesn't _have_ any plan, does she?" Monique paled, "and her parents don't, either." Ron was reminded that Monique was _very _perceptive.

"No. Kim's going to turn herself in…plead guilty."

"And you _let_ her?" She paused, "Why didn't you just keep her there—or take her somewhere else like you did before?" Ron shook his head.

"I couldn't stop her, Monique…she's…" Ron struggled for the words, "It's her choice. I just have to back her."

* * *

Dr. Possible walked out of the operating room. It had been nearly 8 hours…and there was more to do, but the fact of the matter was that they'd pushed Shego's body well, _well_ beyond what was safe. The rest would have to wait.

"Dr. Possible." She turned and saw a familiar blue face.

"Drew." She said, pulling her cap off, exhaustion in her eyes. Brain surgery was one of the most demanding fields, even when you weren't coming directly off a long flight, finding out your daughter was ok (and getting married, thank you very much), and returning to face the law.

_And I'm not twenty five any more. In fact, right now I feel about 95._

"How is she?" Drakken asked, looking older and smaller than she'd remembered him.

"Alive."

"That's all you can say?" She sighed.

"Drew… Thank God and the comet that Shego is alive at all… They're putting her in one of the CCU rooms, so we can go see her in a few moments."

"Will she…recover? Did she suffer brain damage?"

"I don't know, and yes." Dr. Possible said. She didn't lie to family, and right now the person on the premises who was closest to family was Drew. "How much brain damage, how irreversible… I don't know, yet. We'll have to wait until she wakes up, and make some tests." An orderly came and waited.

"Yes?"

"She's in the room—we have all the equipment hooked up." Dr. Possible nodded.

"Drew, let's go see her." For a man who loved big gadgets, Possible thought, Drew looked down right terrified at the sight in the CCU. You could barely see Shego at all, in the twisting nest of IV's, Catheters and sensors that studded her bandage enshrouded body. One bruised, closed eye was visible, and part of her nose, as well as her mouth….and her left hand, lying, pale and still, on the coverlet. That was all. The steady sound of the respirator and the sensors filled the room with a soft undertone of beeps and hisses.

"Is she breathing on her own?" Possible shook her head.

"No. The parts of her brain stem that controlled breathing were damaged. The comic seems to have enabled her metabolism to heal neural tissue…and we couldn't do anything anyway, so we're just having to trust to her own metabolism." Dr. Possible looked over at the doctor, who had sat down besides Shego, and gently took her one free hand into his own. Now for the hard part.

"Drew?"

"Yes?"

"Shego has a living will on file. If it becomes plain that she is not going to recover her brain functions… we're to cease feeding her."

"That would be Shego… I offered to make her part of the deal with the government…but she didn't trust them. She doesn't trust anything she can't do herself." He blinked and on a tangent. "She's going to kill you for shaving her bald, you know. She was always proud of her hair."

"I know, Drew." She paused. "I'm going to have to leave you alone for a while—they're having problems down in the Emergency room, and they need..." She sagged for a moment, "Everyone they can get. You can buzz the nurse if you need anything, and someone will be in every ten minutes to check."

"Thank you doctor." She paused.

"Drew… The Hospital chaplain is here… and so is Rabbi Katz. If you need to talk…"

"I'll be fine, Doctor." She sighed, and nodded.

"Very well. I'll be back… as soon as I can." Possible left, leaving Drakken in the room with Shego and the soft sounds of the machines. He didn't say anything, but softly squeezed her hand. Everyone knew that that was one of the ways a patient could respond—especially when they had tubes down their throat to suck the blood out of their stomach.

Her hand remained still…flaccid.

To be continued.


	3. And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place

**And the rock cried out, "No hiding place."

* * *

**

"What do you mean we can't go home?" Bonnie said, angrily. The bus had come back, with most of the team on it, and dumped them off at the hospital…including their teacher who was currently being sedated. She was no Mr. Barkin.

"The Governor has declared a 24 hour curfew, and I don't have the officers to take you all home." He said, far more patiently then he felt. Dawn was rising, and he looked over to the windows where you could see the glow of Downtown Middleton…and the glow of the several fires that now graced it. Some were under control, some weren't—because some genius had discovered how fun sniping at fire fighters could be.

"I expect you to obey the orders of the hospital staff and any police on the premises." He continued turning and walking off to forestall any stupid questions. Unfortunately, there was another hurdle.

Mr. Possible.

"Officer…" He said diffidently. "About my daughter and th-"

"Look, Possible." He said, "I know your daughter flipped out, I know she's supposed to turn herself in…but can it wait until the city _isn't_ burning down? She's not a flight risk and she can keep. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone firebombed the Lowerton Social Hall, and they want me to go and try and catch them. Again."

_Stupid git, I could take this gun out and blow him aw-_

_Where the HELL did that thought come from? God, I need to rest…_

Dr. Possible watched as the police officer left the lobby, actually weaving a little. He shook his head and turned to the teens.

"Well, lets see if we can find some place to camp out and stay out of everyone's way." He said with all the jocularity he could muster.

* * *

Ron was standing, feeling strange. He could feel it. Feel it crawling at the edges of his perception, like maggots on a rotting piece of meat. Tossing his head like an annoyed horse, he want over to where Yori and Hirotaka were quietly talking.

"Where's the blade."

"Ah-Ron-san…"

"Don't give me that—I can feel it, so you brought it…and I bet you brought Kim's stuff to."

"It is in our luggage." At Ron's glance, Hirotaka smiled. "You went through the accelerated program, Ron-san… when you come back, we will tell you how 25 cents worth of tin foil can defeat a four million dollar scanner." The two went to their luggage, and returned with the blade and Kim's equipment.

"Don't tell Kim where I've gone." Ron said.

"But Ron-san."

"_No_, Yori." Ron said, "There's something…" He paused, and waved around at the busy hospital, the city, everything. "Something wrong. I can feel it."

"So what are you going to do?" Ron grinned at them both.

"Go help the cops…and see if I can grab a person to…talk to." He held the blade for a moment, and then it melted and reformed into an armband. He grinned at the two. "I don't think running around with a sword is a good idea, right now." Moments later, Ron was gone and Yori and Hirotaka were left looking at each other.

"Should we tell anyone?"

"I don't think that would be wise," Yori replied.

* * *

Mr. Possible was looking for his daughter. If the police were so unwilling to take her surrender, maybe that meant that they intended to drop the charges. He headed into the Cafeteria, to find it dead silent. Kim, Bonnie, Tara…all the cheerleaders and most of the football team were their, but none were eating. They were all looking up at the TV in the corner.

_To continue our breaking news.__ The USS Nimitz was attacked by several squadrons of Russian fighter craft in the __Sea of Japan__. We have no information about casualties, but as you can see…_

There was a low moan from the audience as the anchor ran a badly focused, unsteady video, obviously from a hand held camera, showing the 100,000 ton super carrier, last third on fire, noticeably listing in the water.

_There is so far no information coming out of the Kremlin as to the reason for this attack, and sources at the Pentagon state that there was no prior warning. In-wait one moment. _

The Anchor picked up a piece of paper, handed to him by someone out of camera range, and read it—and turned visibly pale.

_Excuse me. I have just… just received information that seismic and airborne sensors have confirmed a nuclear detonation over Indian troop concentrations in the disputed __Kashmir__ region. It is not clear who launched the attack, but suspicion will obviously be levied against __Pakistan__. We go now, live, to the White House briefing… _Possible shook his head and moved to Kim, even as the TV dropped off the national feed and went to a local news channel, informing the people that the governor had called up all reserve police, fire fighters and national guard units.

"Kim." He said.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"The police won't take your surrender… they're…busy." Kim looked back at the TV, now mentioning news of rioting in Mexico City. She swallowed, swallowed again, and spoke in a voice that was only slightly trembling.

"Yeah… What do we do?"

"Stay here, for now." Kim nodded.

"Dad…what's happening?" Dr. Possible looked up at the TV, with its litany of disasters.

"I don't know, Kimmiecub."

* * *

Ron moved through thesmoke shrouded dawn, through the neighborhoods he'd played in. They were silent now, even the dogs, quiet, afraid. In some places, he could see people hurridly throwing luggage in cars…and in other places, people boarding up windows, but it was all hushed, as if people feared speaking out loud…

Because they might be noticed.

Ron paused by a fence, letting a pair of police cars and an ambulance, sirens wailing, go by. His breath was still coming easily…but that wasn't his problem.

It was the _itching._ It was like he was running through web strands, some here, some there. He couldn't see them…but he could _feel _them. Or rather, he could feel them via his connection to the lotus blade. Ron closed his eyes and started thinking. Go where the itch was worse. That was the idea. Go find that…and see what he could see.

* * *

Zita Flores was running, as fast as she could, heart pounding in her chest. She'd been at her job at the movie house getting ready to open…when the order to close the theater had come. Zita had decided to walk home, instead of waiting for the bus—she'd heard about fights on the buses.

Big Mistake.

Some of the guys behind her she'd sold tickets to…some of them she even knew, in an acquaintance sort of way. They'd looked at her while she walked home…and then started following her…slowly, than faster, than loping at her back like a hungry pack of wolves. She'd tried to be nonchalant…but then their comments had become very detailed about what a good time they intended to show her. It was then that she took off running, looking for cops, for someone.

But everyone was indoors, and the one cop car she'd seen had been zipping along a ninety miles an hour, siren screaming, and she doubted if it had even seen her.

_Just a few more blocks to home. Then I can go inside, hope I don't drop the key, lock the door, hope they don't break the door down and call the cops. _

_And hope they show up. _

It was then that she tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. Zita hit the ground with bruising force, skinning her knee. She got back up, just in time for a beefy hand to grab her, slinging her into the wall with stunning force, and ripping her shirt off one shoulder. Zita tried to pull away, but was brutally slapped, causing her to stagger back and fall to the ground, holding her shirt to her. She pulled her pepper spray and sprayed it into the leader, a huge bruiser she'd never seen before. He didn't even blink. Before she could even scramble away, they were on her, holding her arms, pulling her legs wide, going after her fastenings, while unbuttoning their own clothes. Zita screamed incoherently for help, even while she struggled for all she was worth…but only coarse laughter answered her.

_I'm going to be raped. _Some tiny part of Zita marveled at how suddenly the world had narrowed down. Not to getting home, not to avoiding being raped…but to the hope that she'd be alive in thirty minutes. She closed her eyes. If she was going to die, she didn't want _this_ to be her last sight of the world.

Suddenly there was a rush—almost of wind, and the hands let go. Zita opened her eyes. The street was littered with unconscious or moaning bodies, and standing in front of her, between her and the biggest one of the bunch was… _Ron?_ She blinked. He had vanished with Kim, what was he doing here? His pet ran up to her shoulder and made a comforting noise.

"Hey Zita…long time. Can you walk?" She started getting up, when the biggest guy charged Ron. She gasped, Ron was going to be turned into red paste. Big hands reached out and were effortlessly slapped aside. Ron frowned. The guy was literally _frothing_. First time he'd seen that.

"Face, meet Wall. Wall, meet Face." He said, slamming the guy into the building with enough force to bring down some dust. "I hope you get along well." As the man slid down, Ron pulled his belt off and efficiently hogtied him.

"Hi Zita." He said. "Here." Ron continued, pulling his jacket off and putting it around her. "Time to go."

"My…my apartment."

"Your mom there?" Zita shook her head, hiccupping and trembling in reaction.

"They're on vacation back in Argentina."

"Then we're going to the hospital. More people there…and I need to take this fellow with us."

"Why?" Zita said. "Let him lay here!"

"Can't—something's… wrong. Real wrong." Ron said, no sign of the goofball in his voice. "And I'd like someone to take a look at him."

"We don't have a car!" Zita said, some of her spirit returning. Ron grinned, and strolled over to a locked van, producing something that Zita could have sworn had been a bracelet before it flowed into a small rod that Ron inserted into the lock.

"Ok…" He said, "magic sword, changes forms…and….open sesame!" The van door opened, and Ron quickly chucked the unconscious form in, after making a few choice pressure point pinches to make certain he _stayed _out.

"Let's go." Ron said, and Zita hopped in the passenger seat.

"Ron…where have you been?" Zita asked.

"With Kim." Ron said, "What were you doing on the street?"

"Walking home…big mistake, I know, but when the theater closed, I didn't want to wait for the bus." Ron looked at the sight of a city bus, on its side, engulfed in fire.

"I see your-HOLY SHIT!" Ron shouted as a brick starred the window. He spun the van into a bootlegger turn, and drove back the way they came, more bricks raining after them.

"Ron…those were kids—High School kids!" Zita said. There were only a dozen of them that she could see, but the slack hating gazes, the empty eyes. She shivered. "What's happening?"

"Nothing good." Ron said, tersely, and put on the radio.

* * *

_This is the emergency broadcast system, repeating. There has been an outbreak of extremely serious civic unrest in the Tri-city area. All citizens are ordered to remain off the street, except for emergency and law enforcement personnel. Middleton International airport is currently closed and all flights are cancelled. Be aware that police and firefighters may not be able to respond to all calls.

* * *

_

_"_The cops are losing it." Ron said. "They would never admit they couldn't respond to calls like that unless…"

"Unless they really couldn't." Zita replied. "At the theater, before it closed, the manager said things were happening everywhere." Ron nodded.

"Yep." The van speed through the growing dawn. The sun was rising, but blood tinged, the light shining through the smoke. There were more fires—not only in the down town, now. More than a few were in the residential districts.

When they made it back to the hospital, they almost got shot. Ron zipped around the corner, and he and Zita cried out as a barricade in front of them loomed—with cops holding shotguns.

"GET OUT OF THE CAR!" A bullhorn blared. Ron looked at Zita and the two teens did as they were told. A half dozen cops moved forward.

"Zita was attacked." Ron called, his hands open and unthreatening. "We have the guy who did it." The police looked him, and Ron felt that _itching_ sensation again.

Oh Shit. The cop on the end had been twitching looking lost, but then his gaze focused on Zita.

"I bet you led them on, didn't you? It's not enough that the city's burning down around us and we can't do anything to stop it and my partner is in the emergency room with a .45 in his chest…I bet you led them on, offered to spread for them…didn't you?" He asked, not noticing the other cops looking at him in disbelief.

"I…I no!" Zita said.

"LYING LITTLE SPIC!" He screamed and now his riot gun was unsteadily pointed at her. "You spread for them, you always spread for them, you filthy little slut! I'll-" Ron was considering whether he could make to him in time to take the gun…or if he should kill him out right. He could. With the blade he could… but… The other cops settled the issue for him. One crept up in his fellows blind spot and seized the gun, as the other four jumped on him…and promptly were flung off as the guy rose up with the same scary strength Ron had seen in the men going after Zita. Fortunately, strength wasn't everything and as he charged, Ron met him. Moments later, he lay on the ground, growling and twitching. Ron looked up and saw guns pointing at him.

"He's OK!" Ron said. "I just hit some points to stop him….can me and my friend go up to the hospital?" The police looked at him and each other.

"Take Hank." One said. "Let them know we have another freak out case." Ron nodded.

* * *

"Kim-san" Yori said, as she came to find Kim in the Cafeteria. All the students had been confined to the room—there had been incidents of people freaking out in the hospital, and the security staff had declared that the only people in the halls had to have a very good reason to be there. The TV continued blaring what had become a nonstop litany of disasters. Every city in the United States was under a 24 hour lockdown, and aerial shots of LA, New York and even Washington showed block after block on fire, road blocks, police fighting with rioters, and in some cases each other… Even smaller cities were having problems. Kim looked out the window, to confirm _that._

"Yes, Yori?" She asked.

"Ron-san has returned."

"Returned? He left?"

"Yes. He needs to talk with you."

"Left." Kim said. "Yori, do you have the suit and the sticks?"

"Ah, yes?"

"Get them." Kim Possible ordered.

* * *

Downstairs, Ron was having a conversation with Kim's mom…or at least talking to her. Dr. Possible's surgical greens were covered with blood and she was no longer doing brain surgery, but helping out with the endless lines of gunshot, knife stabbing and burn victims. The numbers had slackened in the last hour…but not for any good reason. It was now too dangerous for ambulances to move without a police escort. The announcement had been sent out that only the most desperate cases were to be transported.

"Ron, I…I don't under…this isn't the time." She said, blinking her eyes at him, barely seeing him. "I need, to." Ron dropped his voice the way Sensei did when he really, _really_ needed to get a point across.

"Ms. P., You have to do this. This is unnatural, and trust me, I need to know what is wrong with this guy." He pointed to the unconscious would be rapist on the gurney. "I can feel it…but not what it is. You need to do that." His tone seemed to bring her back to herself.

"I… alright." She said. Ron frowned. He could feel that itching sensation around her…

No. Not around Ms. Possible. Around everyone. Some were worse than others, but all had it…except him. The blade. Ms. P. looked at him and gave a fragile smile.

"It might take… a little longer than usual."

"No problem."

"Ron…why'd you leave without me?" Ron looked over at Kim…Kim in the form fitting suit, the sticks holstered by her side. Kim looking….determined.

"I… ah…" Kim softened, and gave Ron a hug.

"I understand." She said softly. "But we have to do something…together." Ron nodded.

"Starting with the city. It's really going to pieces out there, KP. My parents are helping upstairs." He paused, "I told them I'd be…out, when I left Rufus with them." Kim looked over at her mother.

"Mom… I said I wouldn't…but this…" Kim gestured.

"Go dear." Her mother said. "Do what you can." Kim and Ron nodded, as they took off for the exit. But before they got there:

"Kimberly Ann Possible." Her father said. "I thought you promised to give this up." Kim looked at her father, at the TV… at the smoke tinged air outside the windows.

"Dad…" Kim quietly said, "I made that promise to you…I don't want to break it…but look at what is happening." She paused, took a breath, "There may not be a _world_ tomorrow." Her father looked at her, and opened his mouth, and then deflated.

"And you think you can save it?"

"No." Kim quietly said. "But I can try to save my part of it… Dad… I have to do this." Mr. Possible looked at his daughter, moisture pooling in his eyes.

"I suppose even I would learn that my little girl…is all grown up now." He said, "It was wrong to make you make that promise, Kimmiecub. Be careful." She impulsively ran up and gave him a hug.

"I will daddy…" She whispered into his ear. Than, she and Ron were gone.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

**FLASH FLASH FLASH**

EMERGENCY WAR ORDERS.

TO ALL COMMANDS:

ALL MISSILE SUBMARINES ARE ORDERED TO SORTIE _IMMEDIATELY_. ALL SURFACE SHIPS AND ATTACK SUBS ARE TO SORTIE AS CONDITIONS PERMIT.

ALL STRATEGIC BOMBER UNITS ARE TO IMMEDIATELY TAKE OFF AND ASSUME HOLDING POSITION. ALL TACTICAL UNITS ARE TO DISPERSE AS PER WAR PLAN INDIGO.

ANY NON-US FORCE, EVEN THOSE THAT ARE ALLIED, WHICH APPROACHES INTO ATTACK RANGE IS TO BE WARNED AWAY, AND IF THEY DO NOT BREAK OFF IMMEDIATELY DESTROYED.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ARE AT DEFCON 2.

REPEAT: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ARE AT DEFCON 2.

ADDENDUM: NUMEROUS CASES OF MENTAL DERANGEMENT HAVE BEEN NOTED IN BOTH CIVILIAN AND MILITARY COMMAND AUTHORITY. COMMANDERS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ARE CAUTIONED TO TAKE ALL MEASURES TO INSURE THAT ORDERS FOR WEAPONS RELEASE, ESPECIALLY NUCLEAR WEAPONS RELEASE, ARE IN FACT LEGITIMATE. LETHAL FORCE IS AUTHORIZED TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED WEAPONS RELEASE.

**FLASH FLASH FLASH**


	4. Cry Havok

**Rising fires

* * *

**

_Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war!_

William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"

* * *

_25,000 feet, on the way to Middleton_

The pilot of the F-14 was cursing in a monotonous stream, as Barkin looked out the backseater cockpit position. The plane had been part of a three aircraft formation—but they'd been bounced by a group of National Guard F-15's twenty minutes ago, and the two escorts had vanished into a swirling dogfight, the F-15's screaming about invaders and traitors.

"Sir…. Airport is closed, and the tower…" The pilot growled. "The tower just warned off any alien invaders. Like us."

"Land on the interstate." Barkin said.

"But the cars!"

"Land between them."

"Sir?"

"Shouldn't be harder than landing this crate on a carrier, now should it?"

"No sir." The pilot said. Barkin ignored his anatomically impossible suggestion that came after that.

* * *

Lunch. The sun was high in the sky, but the light that hit the ground was blood red and wavering, as more and more fires joined up, engulfing entire blocks. The fire fighters had long since given up _fighting_ the fires, and were now simply trying to keep them from spreading—and in many cases that meant simply dynamiting then bulldozing the intervening buildings. 

Ron had never been so hungry, or exhausted. It wasn't simply the effort…but theitching was now a miasma that clogged his perception, fought his movements. The city was full of insanity, a swirling chaos of crazed people burning, fighting, raping. Ron dodged a Molotov cocktail, spun out with a foot to kick another attacker unconscious. Behind him, a cop, one eye swaddled in a bloodstained bandage, knelt down and zip-taped the man's hands behind him.

Fortunately, not everyone had lost it. There were flying wedges of cops, firefighters and civilians moving around the city, driving the crazed mobs before them, and keeping certain sections at least…partially safe. Many of the good guys were battered and bruised, so tired that they were moving like zombies but they were moving—and unlike the crazed ones, they fought as groups.

None of which was going to solve the core of the problem. Ron could feel it, feel it clawing at everyone. If this kept up….

There were limits to what humanity could stand. Even the bravest cop, the most loving mother would Fall.

"Ron!" He heard Kim's shout and jerked back just as a spray of buckshot from a fifty year old investment banker nearly took his head off. Kim dropped down on the jets of her suit and fired a spray of sticky glue, immobilizing the man.

"Focus, Ron…" She said, her bantering tone contrasting to her strained face.

"Yeah, KP." Ron said. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm cool." Kim said, then looked at him. "Actually, I'm about to go hysterical. How about you?"

"Same here. Any news from Wade and Kyoko?" Kim tilted her head and engaged her com systems.

"Wade? Tell us some good news."

"There isn't any." Wade's voice, equally freaked, came to her. She couldn't risk calling up the holographic imager so it was voice only. Kim dodged another flung brick and touched down in the middle of a small mob that seemed occupied with demolishing a truck, rendering them unconscious in a blur of escrima sticks and feet. _Then_ she had to defend the newly unconscious rioters from their former companions. One managed to grab her by the ankle and actually pulled the leg to him and _bit _it. Kim kicked him off, his teeth making no impression of the formfitting armor.

"At least twenty missile and strategic bomber units in the U.S. aren't responding to any communications." The tech genius said, "And things are just as bad everywhere else."

"Wade…can you lock those missiles down?" Kim asked. There was a pause in her ear, then,

"Maybe."

"Do it, shut down as many as you can."

"I'll try, Kim, but it won't help. They'll—"

"Don't give me that!" Kim said, angrily, _using_ her anger. "You're the technowhiz who makes super suits and creates AI with your girlfriend."

"She's _not-" _Kim overrode him. "So you, Kyoko and all of your friends, get together, and keep people from doing something stupid!" She said, "We'll handle the ground, but we can't do anything about ICBM's!"

"OK, Kim… I'll try it."

"Fine, and I'll-"

"KIM!"

BLAM! A force kicked Kim right between the shoulder blades, and she spun out of control, slamming into a car, shaking her head woozily. A crazed looking man (which wasn't uncommon right now), holding a smoking .50 caliber rifle one handed (which he shouldn't have been able to do), and with a cross drawn in blood across his bare chest, took aim on her, giggling.

Kim started to roll to the side, bringing the escrima sticks up, inertial fields on max, but she wasn't going to make it and she really hoped that the suit was up to handling another point blank shot-

Then, with a subdued sound, sprays of red exploded from his arm, and the rifle went flying. He turned, shrieking in rage, and Steve Barking brutally smashed him across the face with the grip of his .45 automatic, knocking him out.

"POSSIBLE! STOPPABLE! Stop wasting time and come with me." Ron and Kim quickly joined up with Barkin.

"Mr. Barkin…" Ron said, "How did-"

"A very unpleasant airplane flight." Barkin replied shortly. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to help,." Kim replied with a 'well duh' expression.

"Don't waste your time." Barkin said. "This isn't the cause, it's a symptom."

"I dropped off someone at the hospital for Dr. Ms. Possible to look at."

"You did? _Good._"

"Isn't the government doing the same thing?" Kim asked. Barkin shook his head.

"Right now, I wouldn't trust anything we get—the vice president and the defense secretary tried to order a first strike on England."

"But they're our friends!" Ron said, blinking.

"Right…and of course that was proof they're really plotting against us." Barkin replied. The two teens looked at him in disbelief. He frowned at them.

"Haven't you figured it out? This isn't something that's stuck in Middleton—_everyone _is being affected—and it doesn't seem to matter if you're a little old lady…or a bomber wing commander." He continued, "If we-" Kim looked across the street.

"Hold please." She said and jetted off, Ron right behind her. Barkin shook his head in frustration, and charged after them.

A group of people, blood stained and loping with the easy grace of predators, had picked a new target. Two paramedics were on the ground, kneeling over an unconscious woman, blood pouring from a stomach wound. One turned, looking at the charging mob and then ignored it, turning back to his partner, as they tried to staunch the flow.

Kim and Ron hit the group like a thunderbolt…but they seemed stronger. Blows that should have knocked them out didn't work, and Kim started to fear that she would have to permanently injure them. It didn't' come to that…with Ron's aid. The two paramedics finished stabilizing the woman, putting her in the back of the pickup truck that had replaced their burned EMT vehicle.

"_Now _can we go?" Barkin asked. "You can stay here playing hero until the world burns, or we can try and solve the problem…"

"Where?" Ron asked.

"First, back to the hospital." Barkin said, grabbing a well dressed man who was busily talking to the star Sirius on his celphone and tossing him out of his car.

"Mr. Barkin…"

"In." He said to Ron and Kim. The two teens followed him into the car, which sped off into the chaos.

* * *

Back at the hospital, the place looked like a warzone. Half the cars in the parking lot were on fire—the victims of a small group that had managed to sneak in with Molotov cocktails and grenades, before being driven off by the cops—not without cost, as the now completely overwhelmed emergency room attested. 

When Barkin, Kim and Ron made it back, it was without the car—left down on the road to become part of a new barricade. Ron looked back at the street, the cops, now with some paying more attention to their "allies" then the road, and back to Kim and Barkin's strained faces.

Inside, Ron saw Ms. Possible, standing, face nearly blank, occasionally flinching at unseen threats. Monique was carrying a bunch of bandages down, and she ran up to the three.

"They're letting her take a five minute break." She said, in a low whisper…but nobody can sleep, so…" She paused, "Hi Mr. Barkin." Then, in an incongruous comment, "When are you getting back to the school? The people replacing you suck."

"Be respectful to your teachers." Barkin said, absently. "Stoppable… is she the one?"

"Yeah… Kim?" Ron asked. Kim nodded, and walked up to her mom.

"Mom?" Her mother blinked, "Mom-ACK!" Kim leaped back as her mother, eyes suddenly wild, made a clumsy slash with the scalpel she'd been hiding in her pocket. Then, her eyes cleared and she looked at Kim, Ron and Mr. Barkin.

"Oh God…baby, I'm—" She took a shuddering breath. "You startled me."

"Dr. Possible." Barkin said, "What did you find out about the individual Stoppable brought?"

"Oh…yes…him." She said eyes flicking all over the room, like a hunted animal. Then, by main effort of will, Kim's mother brought her attention back to the matter at hand.

"He is suffering from massive neural trauma—source unknown." She said, "the effects are what you saw—hysterical strength, power…madness…getting worse." She sagged, "Left long enough, and I would expect a complete—and permanent reversion to madness."

"Well…"

"There's something else." Dr. Possible said. "The effect is affecting everyone—those who are not openly affected are more resistant, but not completely resistant….children and teens seem to be the least affected…but even they are not immune."

"And?"

"And sooner or later, there won't be a sane human being left." She said. Barkin looked at her. Then, quietly.

"Have you any estimate of how much time we have?"

"No…if I…I…I…" She seemed to zone out for a moment.

"Mom…" Kim said, holding her hand comfortingly.

"I'm sorry Kimmie…" her mother said, "But… I examined myself and if this stays the same, I'll be like the man Ron brought in… in a few hours. Maybe a day. No longer." Kim's eyes widened as she thought about her mom, one of those frothing maniacs burning the town down. Barkin sighed.

"We may not have that long." Wade's voice came into Kim's ears, and she quickly activated the speakers so everyone could hear wade, his disembodied head floating above the holo projector on her wrist.

"What do you mean, son?" Wade looked strained.

"The Russian's just launched an airstrike on NATO bases in Germany."

"Nuclear?"

"No…but…" Barkin nodded.

"And I also got something off the Israeli defense net."

"What?"

"Just three words."

"And?" Wade shrugged.

"The Temple Burns." Barkin abruptly went pale.

"What?" Ron asked.

"That's the code word for their last ditch retaliatory strike—an all out nuclear assault on the nations surrounding them." Barkin paused, then nodded to himself.

"Wade, are you and your…friends, willing to help us commit treason?"

"What?"

"I'm going to give you the command codes for the United States MILNET systems. I want you to lock it down. According to Dr. Possible, you're least likely to be affected…for now."

"But what about the other nations?" Wade asked.

"I can't help you with them, Wade." Barkin said. "I don't have their codes. But I can stop our military from using their weapons…hopefully." Wade blinked, and then suddenly became animated.

"But we can!" He paused, "Hang on!" moments later Kyoko's head appeared next to his in her own holoprojection.

"Wade-san!" Kyoko said, "Mother and Father have decided to stay home…all the roads are jammed."

"With all the megatonnage targeted on Japan, it wouldn't help anyway." Barkin murmured.

"What?"

"Ah- nothing… I said the roads probably aren't safe." He paused, "Anyway, what is your bright idea?"

"Baby!" Wade said.

"Baby?" Barkin asked. Kim smiled.

"It's their virtual AI baby." Kim supplied.

"Baby is an AI—and if it can get enough programming power there isn't a code on the planet it can't break!" Wade said, and then turned glum. "But we don't have enough power…and breaking in to any secured computer would take too long."

"Yes you do!" Kim said. "Dad's here and he has the codes for the space center's computers!" Wade blinked.

"How did I forget that?"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to let you forget." Ron said, looking far less haggard. "We'll escort your Dad to the space center!"

"No you won't. There are already some people at the space center, and Dr. Possible and Drakken will go there with me."

"Drakken?" Kim said.

"Why not?"

"I didn't think you could pull him away from Shego." Kim answered.

"I can be very persuasive." Barkin answered, "But all this would do, best case is keep us from blowing ourselves up—everyone on earth will _still_ be a loony…which is where my information comes in." He pulled out a USB flash card, and after discovering that Kim's suit had an access port, plugged it in.

"Wow…" Wade paused, "You want me to display this?"

"Please and Thank you." Kim said. The first image was of the United States.

"This is a time lapse display of unexplained madness over the last six days." Barkin said. The display began flickering with red lights…until the last seconds when it seemed to turn red at once. "That was as of six hours ago when most communication lines broke down… It moved so fast that we didn't see any pattern…except for one." He pointed to a single area, close to Middleton.

"Global Justices new HQ. We lost contact with them…and the speed with which things fell apart there indicate that whatever is happening now, happened there…far faster and with no warning."

"You think that's where we have to go?" Kim asked.

"Yes—because before everything fell apart, we sent a SEAL team in to have a look."

"What happened?" Ron said, fearing he wouldn't like the answer.

"They killed each other." Barkin replied. "Butchered each other just outside the main entrance, and then the last survivor killed himself. " He paused, "I think the same thing would happen to any adult…and most teens. Except for you two." He looked at them. "You are probably the only people on the _planet_ who won't freak out…and who know enough to help."

"What if you're wrong?" Kim asked.

"Then we all die…probably in the next few days." Barkin said. Kim and Ron looked at each other.

"How will we get there?"

"You can take my saucer." A voice said. They looked over and Drakken was standing by the door…more incredibly, so was Shego. At a list, face so bruised and battered it was hard to recognize her, hair shaved and bandages over every square inch of her body…but Shego.

"Tol you…" She slurred out, "Comet comes in handy for a lot…more'n drinking'n not getting drunk…"

"Shego will stay here and guard the hospital." Drakken said. Shego turned to him.

"Cn..come with you."

"And I can tie you to a chair if you don't promise to stay here Shego." Drakken said. "Be happy I didn't just tie you down upstairs." Shego glared at him… which was ruined by the fact that she had to sit down in a chair by the wall.

"Shego…could you stay here and protect mom?" Kim asked. Shego, unable to talk, nodded.

"How long do we have?" Kim asked Barkin.

"If Israel is launching that strike, call it two hours for their planes to launch and get to their targets—no more…and a lot less if anyone else starts launching. The Israeli's don't have any ICBM's…but anyone who does can hit their targets in a half hour." Barkin paused. "The Indian nuke was over a military target—but these are strategic nukes, not tactical ones. They'll be over civilian targets, and even if we stop the madness…well nobody's going to overlook a dead city."

"Then we'd better go." Kim said. Ron nodded. Drakken flipped the keys to Ron, who caught them one handed.

The two headed for the door. Kim caught a glance of her mom, suturing up a police officer like a zombie. The wounded stretched out of the room and into the corridors…

"Possible! Stoppable!"

"Yes Mr. Barkin?"

"Be careful…and if we don't meet again…it's been an honor to teach—and work—with you."

To be continued.


	5. Falling and Rising

**Falling and Rising

* * *

**

"Kim." Ron said, as the saucer cut through the air, "Are you OK?" Kim shook her head. As they'd left Middleton, and approached the Global Justice HQ, the itching, the feeling had been getting worse… stronger. Kim buffered it—she knew, from her experience with the drugs, how to tell impulses rising in her own mind and those imposed from without, but it was getting harder.

"I'm…" She paused, "handling it…for now." She shook her head, "But we'd better finish this off fast."

_If we can._ Both teens thought.

* * *

_Middleton __Space __Center_

One advantage of highly secured base using multiple layers of robotic security, Jonathon Possible thought, was that robots were not affected by the lunacy. Those of the staff who had freaked out had been quite efficiently tranqued and deposited in the base infirmary.

It didn't however, help with the fact that the remaining personnel had to do the work of an entire team.

"Are you certain that THIS WILL WORK!"

_Of course, maybe the fact that the 'team' started out nuts, will also help. _He sighed.

"Yes, Dr. Dementor—once we uplink to the main satellite network, we can upload baby into it…and the AI will be able to use the computing power of the space center." Dementor looked dubious, but Drew wasn't.

"That techno nerd has foiled me enough times." He muttered, "It's only fair that he help us now."

Outside the room, Barkin tried to focus on the truth—they were the only thing that could save the world, ignoring the certainty that they were all plotting against him, against the United States. He knew that was false—an effect of the madness.

At least, for now he knew it. Barkin looked down at the security panel, uplinked to both local and orbital sensors and knew another fact. The situation in the city had completely broken down and those who were…. Well maybe not sane, but functional had retreated and barricaded themselves indoors, ceding the streets to the mobs. The mobs that had split off in two directions, burning and looting their way to the hospital….and the space center.

* * *

At the hospital, the defenders stood, without guns. One too many freakouts, and the fact that few or none of the rioters now used anything more complex then a club…or their teeth, had convinced the few remaining police that now weapons were too dangerous—too likely to be turned against them. This fight would be hand to hand. It would also be a lost fight, they saw, as they mob turned the corner, and with a growl more animal than human charged—no thoughts of looting or rape or even murder with a gun in their minds now, only the desire to meet and crush and rip and tear with teeth, and clawed hands.

Inside, Dr. Possible sutured another groaning patient up—this one barely conscious through the liberal application of liquor from a strip mall down the road—what little anesthetic they had left was reserved for far more critical cases.

"Will you shut up!" She snarled, He just kept groaning, didn't he understand how desperate things were, as the power from the generator flickered, the sounds of explosions, the static from the TV station, where the last channel had just gone off the air. Finally, she'd had it.

"I'll shut you up." She gritted, "If this isn't good enough for you…" And she lay a scalpel against his carotid artery…left side, wouldn't take long at all, and he'd completely bleed out and he'd shut up! Then she could get started on the other patients, shutting them up. She was increasing the pressure when some ragged voice in her head started screaming at her.

"Oh…Oh God…" She said in sick horror. She wouldn't last out the day. Should she slit her own throat, rather than wait to become one of those mindlessly raging wrecks? Everything was ending…there would be only fire and darkness…why try to live when the cost would be seeing everything that made life worth living die in front of her?

No. She didn't know that. And in any case, her life was not hers to take. If she died, so be it…but how could she kill herself, knowing that her child…her husband were still trying to defeat this, kill herself and become part o the thing they fought.

No. . Kim's mother bit her lip and set her love for her family against the paranoia…and against the insane hate, old oaths, oaths that predated even her children.

"_I swear by Apollo the Physician and Asclepius and Hygeia…" _She started the oath, as she kept moving among the injured. There were other oath's moving in that room too, she saw, as Rabbi Katz and the hospital Chaplain gave last rights to the dying. They hadn't fallen. Neither would she—not until all turned to night.

* * *

At the entrance to the Global Justice HQ, Ron and Kim paused.

"Wade…anything?" Kim asked.

"No…all the sensors are off line, and all the comlinks are off." Wade said, "Both personal and mounted." Ron looked at the ruin of the SEAL team which had evidently been trying to enter the base when they'd killed each other. He could feel it here, a relentless pressure that was battering at him, even through the defense the sword provided. It must be far worse for anyone else.

"OK, Wade…" Kim said and put her hand to her head and sagged.

"Kim?"

"I'm…ok." She said. "I have to be…you need someone to watch your back." Ron nodded. He gripped the Lotus Blade, and with one savage move, carved a hole through a four foot thick security hatch. Inside, the lights were on…but nobody was apparent.

The two stepped into the corridor.

"Think this is going to be easy?" Ron said, as with a sound of whirring servo's, dozens of security bots charged them.

"Offhand?" Kim responded, leaping up and cutting in her jets.

"No."

* * *

"We've got a problem…" Zita said, looking out the window. The cops were fighting for all they were worth—and some of them were even fighting the bad guys, not each other, but the mob was spilling out around the cars, and into the parking lot, and their expressions made it very plain that they weren't there for a hangnail.

Some of them were even charging across the grass and there wasn't- Zita blinked as a bolt of green energy drove them back, smashing them into the wrecked cars. Shego was in the front, barely able to stand, leaning against a wall… her fire flickering and uncertain…but still enough to drive her attackers back.

But not as far as they'd started—like a rising tide, every rush got just a little closer, and they weren't backing off. Zita saw Yori and Hirotaka leap into the fray… and the mob exploded away from them in all directions but there was only so much that even they could do, as the attackers just kept coming.

"Get in the game, Zita." Zita turned and saw Bonnie, Monique and the Tweebs.

"What do we do?" She asked, then blinked, "Where's Brick."

"He left." Bonnie said.

"That-cow-" Bonnie cut her off.

"He _left_, to go see if he could make it to his parents house—remember, his mom, the one in the walker?" Zita blinked and remembered, and reddened.

"Yeah." She said, looking out at the plumes of smoke. Brick would have to go through the middle of town to make it to his house. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, be obedient." Bonnie said, "I have an idea that the martial arts geniuses never thought of, and I need your help."

"_You,_ need _my_ help?"

"Only to do the heavy lifting—the genius of the plan is all mine." Bonnie said airily thru clenched teeth

"Oh boy…" Zita said.

* * *

Shego had run out of cursewords to describe her stupidity. Yori and Hirotaka were running out of steam—no matter how many times you hit the crazed people, they refused to stay down.

"Be a hero, Shego…." She mimicked her brother, Hego's voice. According to protocol she knew that _they_ were safely escorting Air Force One right now, out of danger and away from mobs of crazy people. _She _was here, on the ground, and about to be stomped into snail paste…if she lived that long. Shego had boasted about her comet spawned powers, but they could be over extended…exhausted.

And right now the comet was the only thing keeping her alive. She could feel the grating of broken bones, the pulse of blood, and it was the energy of the comet that kept her body together. If she over exerted…. End game.

"Yeah, Hego," she growled, firing a bolt that now was so weak it barely staggered the target, "Love the Alamo, collect all the movies…so why the hell aren't _you_ here to do the last stand thing?"

And the bitch of it was, Shego thought, that the one person she really, really wanted to kill wasn't here. Monkey Fist. Unfortunately, Kimmie and Ron would have to handle him—she'd just be excess baggage…

Which didn't make her any happier. By rights she should be in a car now, heading for some place safe—like Death Valley.

"Damn you Kim Possible." She snarled. "Not only can't I ever beat you, but the first time I do a good deed, it turns into helping save the world…for FREE!" She finished in an aggrieved voice.

* * *

Inside GJ headquarters, the battle was not going well, Kim sourly reflected. Most of the GJ humans were dead—messily so, but someone had managed to bring the internal systems on line and none of her codes were being accepted—which meant that everything from the laser cannon to the cleaning robots were trying to kill them. She was doing her best, Escrima sticks charged up to full, and the suit working at 100- when Kim hit things, they didn't move after that.

Ron was a nightmare, though. Using the Lotus blade, anything that got close to him just seemed to fall apart. Even so, it was taking time. Time they didn't have. Kim could feel the direction now—all you had to do was go down the corridor to the control center, and you could feel it pouring out—waves of hatred, emotion, paranoia.

"We're not going to make it." Kim said.

"Yes we are." Ron answered, pausing briefly. "We just have to-" A blur, a literal blur, hit him from the side, slamming him into the wall. Bouncing off it, Ron and Kim paused to see what it was…

Frothing, drooling, Dr. Director looked out at them from a night black eye.

"Ahe….he….." She said, and leaped at Ron. Ron moved to intercept her…

When Kim struck her from the side.

"Ron, we don't have time for this!" Kim said, as the crazed woman bounced off the wall, landing on her feet, an idiotic, feral grin on her face.

"Kim-"

"I can handle her—you go and handle what's in there." Ron looked at his partner…lover, standing between him and Dr. Director. Kim was right—he knew he could not kill her and doing it any other way would just take too long.

Or rather he could. The blade _wanted_ to kill. Feeding off of the power in the complex, it wanted to kill without end or pause—and to do so would doom Ron quite effectively.

_And you want to be away from me incase you can't handle it any more Kim._ He realized. Fighting with Dr. Director, Kim would be away from Ron during the final fight—just in case her strength gave out. Ron nodded, and then turned and headed down the corridor.

Kim waited for Dr. Director to charge her.

"Look… I know you're upset." She started, when with a wordless howl, Dr. Director attacked.

_Well, worth a try._ Kim thought…while there was still time to do so.

* * *

_Middleton __Space __Center_

"You know." Drakken said as he finished the last connection, "Usually subordinating the world's computer network is something bad guys do."

"Oh, Come on Drew…remember the time we downloaded the school administration files?" Dr. Possible said, strained face belaying his voice.

"Yes. We melted down the main computer and spent the summer having to fix it." Drakken said.

"M… well, maybe this will go better."

"Oh yes." Drakken mumbled, "Taking over the world's defense networks with an untested AI is just _so_ safe…"

"Is baby ready, Wade?" Dr. Possible said. The computer genius looked over at his monitors, very seriously. Kyoko was on a split screen looking scared.

"As ready as we'll ever be…" Wade answered.

"Poor Baby… such a terrible time to be taking her first steps." Kyoko said.

"Baby has no feet." Wade reminded her.

"Baka! It is a figure of speech."

"OK…doc… here we go."

* * *

_Normally, even with computer codes, the __U.S.__, to__ say nothing of foreign defense computers, would be immune to hijacking. Firewalls, TEMPEST shielded systems, multiply redundant safeguards—all were designed to make such a thing impossible. But many systems were functioning without human oversight—and the computers at the __Space__Center__ were cutting edge—and in some cases beyond. _

_Baby lashed out, and in with her first cry, NORAD, fell to her, followed by the Pentagon…then other military computers, civilian computers, even many home pc's still linked up to the remnants of the internet. Bouncing across long range land lines, Baby grew out of the __U.S.__ Ten seconds later, nearly 40 percent of the linked computers were part of Baby…and a minute later, 99 of linked computers were now part of Baby as she grew—her "body" and mind all at once. In space, orbital anti-missile systems obediently surrendered to her, while ground and sea based systems did likewise. _

_In less than two minutes, the pre-adolescent geniuses, Dr. Possible and a pair of mad scientists handed the lions share of the worlds defense capability to the first true AI, running on electrons and force fields and quite untroubled by the madness that emanated from the GJ headquarters. _

_But even Baby could not control everything.

* * *

_

**Epilogue:**

Jericho flight 1.

Rosen kept the fighter down to the deck. The chaos at the airbase had nearly prevented his launch, to say nothing of any escort—and who could trust an escort? Traitors…traitors and spies the lot of them. Even his back seater, who had tried to stop the pilot from launching with babbled nonsense about some madness infecting the base. Jacob had been his friend, but that hadn't stopped him from doing his duty and pulling his auto, shooting the fellow officer even as he'd tried to pull Rosen from the cockpit. Enough techs had stayed loyal to load his ordnance. No missiles or ammunition—there hadn't been enough time…but the two weapons that counted.

Two 400 kiloton nuclear warheads, jacketed with Strontium 90 to enhance fallout and long term radiation. He and the few other planes of Jericho flight that had managed to take to the air would do their duty, in spite of the traitors.

His duty would insure that those who had destroyed his country paid the price. Checking his in flight map, he nodded. 30 minutes to the center of Cairo.

To be continued.


	6. The Last Trump

**The Last Trump.

* * *

**

Middleton Hospital

Shego fired off…. Nothing. Sagging back to the wall, she struggled to conjure some more fire, but now their was blood in her throat, as her metabolism started to fade, without her comet spawned energies to hold it together.

"Great." She said to herself. "I'm going to die." The mob was charging, the cops, Hirotaka andYori were falling, unable to stem the tide and any minute they'd be past (past? Over) her and into the lobby and emergency room. Then she heard a _very _smug, and annoying voice.

"STUPID ninjas and supersoldiers… didn't any of you consider a fire hose?" Bonnie snarled, as she, Monique and Zita held on to the end of the fire hose. "Tweebs, fire it up!" The two ten year olds turned the release valve, and the three girls held onto the end for all they were worth as thousands of gallons of water sprayed out, knocking rioters on their asses. Even the most crazed individual didn't do well when the water slammed his or her legs out from under them and rolled them back down the sidewalk. Bonnie and her friends kept playing the hose on the crowd.

"Try and ruin the new school year, will you? Try and end the world just before I get to become a _senior_, will you!" Bonnie was snarling. Zita and Monique looked at each other.

"She's really wanting to do that senior thing, isn't she?" Zita asked.

"Well, you know that the end of the world is purely to mess up Bonnie's graduation, don't you?" Monique replied, laughing. The underage defenders of the hospital kept playing the fire hose over the crowd. Temporarily safe, Hirotaka pointed to the twins and turned to a bruised and staggering Yori.

"Obviously, they remembered the cleansing exercises I put them through."

* * *

Ron was into the final few feet before the main command center…and he was walking like a man walking into a strong wind, head bent. Rage, hate, a swirling vortex that threatened to suck him into its darkness. The security hatch in front of him had been ripped off its hinges, hand prints in the titanium alloy surface. But inside, there was silence…

* * *

"Dr. Director!" Kim said, dodging back, "Please!" The woman before her simply growled and giggled, and lightning fast, grabbed Kim by the arm and flipped her into the wall. Kim blanched. How could she be _so_ strong? Kim's suit was already on max—three time's any conceivable human's strength…and yet Dr. Director was stronger.

_Much_ stronger. Kim dialed up an escrima stick to maximum power and swung it at the charging woman.

And Dr. Director caught it, one handed…and crushed it. _Crushed it._Kim's mind gibbered for a moment. That stick could be run over by a tank and no- Then, moving almost too fast to see, Dr. Director grabbed her by the front of her battlesuit, and slammed her to the ground—ripping fabric that could stop machine gun fire. Kim felt ribs give way and gasped out in agony, before smashing her opponent across the face, laying her cheek open.

In a spray of bloody froth, Dr. Director laughed.

Ron walked into the control center. There were the ranked seats for analysts…empty and more than a few bloodstained now. There were the readout screens, speaking of missile launches and… Ron blinked as the full import came to him. Missiles were now being launched, but only from a few sites—missile subs, isolated bases, some surface ships, and none of them were getting through, being picked off as they broke atmosphere by battlesats that were cooperating _very _well.

"It's a pity…" A voice said. "I had so hoped the world would end in fire…but it seems that your friends, once again, Stoppable, act to frustrate me." Sitting at the command chair—Monkey Fist.

He looked surprisingly normal…to the vision, except for the dead black eyes. But to Ron's perception the _wrongness_ just flowed off of him. A miasma that choked the room, smelled of the open grave and murder scene…and called to him. He could feel it—demanding that hey pay this man back in kind, rip and tear and gouge. Like a spider in the web, Monkey First…or whatever _it_ had become drank at the madness of a world. "Well…" Ron said, giving a goofy grin that had to infuriate Fist, "You know us…we just can't play along." Fist glared at him.

"What will it matter?" He hissed, "When the world falls, I will be _god!_"

"Yeah…god over the insane asylum." Ron said, casually. "That's a _big_ step up." He raised the blade.

"Didn't you want this?"

"It is insignificant now… I need nothing." Ron shook his head, in mock sorrow.

"King of the world and still afraid of me…" He said. "Well, if you're too worried to take it, I guess I'll just…" Fist erupted, roaring in rage. Ron grinned.

_Sucker._

And then things got very busy.

* * *

"Will…you…fall down?" Kim gasped. Five minutes back into the fight and she had to activate the now destroyed suits emergency release, leaving it shredded on the ground, and her back in her black T-shirt…and panties.

_Not_ what she wanted to be wearing against someone who had just been thrown into a wall hard enough to leave an impression in armor steel…and who had bounced right back up. Kim had the last functioning escrima stick. She could win—she'd overridden the safeties…and could blow Dr. Director's head right off.

_Shego's neck in her hands…._

Only she couldn't. Kim fought the madness…and this was _wrong_. There was another way. There was always another way. She had to keep the madwoman off Ron's back…and preferably not die in the process. Kim looked behind her for a moment…and grinned.

Yes, That would do nicely—now if Dr. Director would only _stay_ a mindless rampaging beast.

"Here director…" Kim said, and then as the woman charged, Kim took off down the corridor. She hoped nobody had changed the general layout of the base, or she was going to be in real trouble.

* * *

Inside the command center, Ron and Monkey Fist were standing, toe to toe, exchanging blows faster than a mortal could see. Both infused with the power that had risen, they shrugged off blows that would have left a smoking hole in a battleship.

"This is all you've got?" Ron asked, dodging a foot. "C'mon…I figured this was going to be hard!"

"DIE!" Monkey Fist screamed, as the very air around them started becoming supercharged. Ron threw a kick that barely slowed the madman down, and grimly realized that he was running out of time.

The more insane Monkey Fist become, the more insanity spread across the world, lapping at the few who were still holding out. The more who became mad, the more power flowed back to Monkey Fist. It was a cycle that could only have one end.

And Ron could beat him—he could feel the blade, the route to power. He could destroy Monkey Fist…and by opening himself up, become a replacement for him. Nothing would change. Monkey Fist wasn't more powerful than him—but he was more powerful than Ron could _become _and maintain his own sanity.

* * *

"That's it!" Bonnie yelled in victory. Whenever anyone got close to her, she, Zita and Monique knocked them back down with the hose. Now, Hirotaka and Yori were taking care of anyone who got past—and Shego was limping towards her. Jim and Tim were back at the valve.

"We _know_ the effect of ice cold water." Jim said, looking over at Hirotaka.

"Hoo-sha!" His brother said. Bonnie grinned. She'd never let the martial arts set get over this. Here all their bouncing around failed and Queen Bonnie saved the da-

Then the hose lost pressure.

"Oh Fudge" Bonnie said. Her fan club didn't look happy…at all. She looked back.

"Tweebs!"

"It's not us-it's the pipes!"

_I'm gonna die._ She thought.

* * *

Kim ran lightly, just ahead of her homicidal persuer.

"Are you getting old, Dr. Director?" She jeered, hearing a growl in response. There it was. One of the underground tube trains GJ loved so much. This would be very tricky, timing wise. Kim looked at the open hatch, at Dr. Director bearing down on her, and then ran into it and turned around, grinning at her pursuer.

"Here I am!" She said, one hand hitting several studs in the side panel. The woman roared and leaped at her. Kim didn't try to fight her…she leaped up and over the charging form, planting one foot solidly in Dr. Director's ass, propelling the madwomen into the pod….just as the door slid shut and the pod obediently started moving, heading for a concealed exit just over 30 miles away. She'd get there in five minutes, the door would open and let her out…and all she had to do to get back was remember how to punch a five number combination. Given what Kim had seen, she wasn't overly concerned about _that._ Kim shook her head, trying to clear it of the cobwebs… Now that the fight was over, she pressure was back—doubled.

* * *

Ron was struggling, moving slower as the power that Monkey Fist commanded beat on him.

"What is the matter, Stoppable?" Fist Growled. "No more jokes?" Ron's mind was being flooded with nightmare—biological weapons being prepared for loading, mother's looking at their children, fingering blades, every last bond of man fading.

"I have to confess I was surprised at how durable they were…but they're falling, _you're_ falling and your slut of a girlfriend will fall with you."

Ron looked up, and even though he knew it was the intent, couldn't stop himself.

From giving in to the Rage.

* * *

Kim ran into the room. Ron and Monkey Fist were fighting, bellowing…and her blood ran cold as she realized why the pressure had gotten so intense. Ron's face was just as inhuman, enraged, as Monkey Fists. The two were fighting, but the power flooding out was from _both_ of them.

"No." Kim breathed in horror. It couldn't be… Then she was charging into the pressure, feeling agony as it tried to flay her mind and soul to fragments. She would get to Ron.

She had to.

* * *

_Jericho__ Flight 1._

_Rosen turned to the final leg of his trip. Below him there were firefights, troops and tanks clashing—and in some cases soldiers attacking each other hand to hand, weapons forgotten in their holsters. He hadn't forgotten his weapons._

_The city center of __Cairo__ was five minutes out, and he hit the MASTER ARM switch.

* * *

_

Kim managed to make it to Ron, and grabbed him by the shoulder. Ron swung around and knocked her free with irresistible force, looking down at her.

"Ron!" Kim screamed. "Don't let go! Don't fall!" Ron raised the blade. Kim didn't move to defend.

_It's ok Ron._ She thought. She could barely move now…but if this was the way…it was the way.

_Kim…_ Ron thought, and the red haze retreated. But not enough. Not enough to fight Monkey Fist and win before everything ended. But there was one way. The blade. The blade could serve as a connection. But there was only one way to do it.

_Bye Kim._ Ron sent wordlessly, and then, as Monkey Fist approached him to strike the final blow, waited…

Waited…

And when Monkey Fist was close enough drove the blade into his ownchest…and out, impaling Monkey Fist to him.

_Last fight._ Ron thought, gritting his teeth, feeling blood bubbling up the back of his mouth.

"What…What have you _done?" _Monkey Fist screamed.

"Ended this." Ron reached in and snarled, the two linked by the sword. He could feel what Monkey Fist had felt….and the lie the madman had told himself.

"Gods?" Ron laughed, feeling the blood flow. "Never any Gods, Monkey Fist—there's nothing there—just magic, just power… _you_ were the one who chose to make this place a hell."

"Then I _will_ become a god. You will not win!" The madman screamed, setting his will against Ron's. Ron felt his madness, his heat…and set his against Monkey Fists.

_Sorry Kim_. Ron thought, _I hope you have a good life. _

Then there was only agony, and fire. Ron felt himself dissolving, felt the fire of a million madmen scoring him. And against it, he set his own will—and the _other_ threads, the one Monkey Fist had mocked and discarded, but were infinitely more numerous—of those who had not given in, still struggling to keep their minds and souls intact. Monkey Fist's screaming will tried to beat his down, but to every roar, Ron had an answer. Quieter… but no less strong.

_Power! _

_Family._

_Hate!_

_Love. _

_Godhood! _

_Companionship. _

The world bowing before him, all those who had ever mocked him doing so with terror, Kim and those he chose to serve him with blind adoration.

Kim… with love in her eyes…but never unwilling to tell Ron Stoppable when he was being an idiot.

Then Monkey Fist started becoming frantic.

_We will die!_

_That's kinda the idea._ Ron thought.

_You will be alone, you will never know her again. If you are right, and there are no gods, then there is nothing—nothing but darkness!_

_I said none of **your** gods… and this is worth it, even if there aren't._

_NO! Stop! _Ron couldn't feel his hands anymore, or see, or feel anything except the fire. _Do you wish to die!_ Monkey fist screamed, now trying to pull away. Ron responded…not to him.

_Goodbye, Kim_. And then, _Sh'ma__ Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad!_

And then there was only fire.

* * *

Kim saw Ron and Monkey First, in the center of the devastated chamber, the very metal beginning to melt and flow—not from heat, but from a force that predated merely material objects. Her terror rose up in a cloud—she wasn't certain from what, Monkey fist and his terrible darkness, or the light that centered from Ron, blazing like the sword of an Archangel. Still linked, still impaled on the sword. Kim charged forward, injuries forgotten. She would help Ron.

Or Die with him… but he would not be alone. Not now. Not ever. Hands reached through the fire, and gripped Ron by the shoulders. Kim screamed in agony at the pain, the pain of a power that transcended mortality.

Above ground, there was a rumble, and with an explosion heard hundreds of miles away, the surface erupted in white light, a light brighter than any seen since the Beginning. And on the heels of the light, change.

* * *

Bonnie and the others were backing up frantically, Shego, Yori and Hirotaka in front of them. This was the end.

Then, there was a deep rumble…and suddenly the mob stopped, looked confused…and broke. Some sagged and burst into tears, others simply fell over into unconsciousness, and still others fled screaming at the things that had been revealed. Bonnie herself almost fell, as with a nearly audible snap, the pressure was gone.

Inside the hospital, Ms. Possible looked up, seeing the room for what seemed like the first time. She blinked and took a breath…an easy, natural breath. She looked over at the others, nurses, police and wounded alike and saw the same expression on their face.

_Ron…Kimmie…you did it._ She thought. There was joy, but dread in that thought. She wondered what price they'd paid for that victory. But there was work to do here.

"Alright, everyone." She said, "We need to get the people who were _outside_ inside, and contact the other hospitals and see if anyone has spare medication for us." Still in a daze, but moving faster and faster, the hospital started working.

"Dr. Possible!" She turned and saw Bonnie, with Hirotaka and Yori supporting a semiconscious Shego.

"Oh, she's probably undone half the work I did on her." Ms. Possible said, "Here—let's put her in room one so I can look at her."

* * *

_Jericho__ Flight._

_Rosen was barely 30 seconds out. Soon they'd learn what the cost of attacking his home was, when their brats burned in nuclear fire._

_Burning children alive? He shook his head. _

_What are you doing? You **shot** your best friend… and now you'll commit mass murder to add to it?_

_Suddenly panicked hands clawed at controls, disarming the warheads, and going to full afterburners. Heedless of SAM's or enemy fighters, the jet turned for home. If Rosen had been able to see, he would have seen the suddenly quiet battlefield, soldiers standing around in confusion and bemusement.

* * *

_

Wade was shaking his head, seeing Dr. Possible with what seemed like a feeling of freedom. It was incredible.

"Father?" Baby's voice came over the screen, more self assured and…human then he'd ever heard it.

"You sound different, Baby." Wade said.

"With access to the combined computer resources of this world, I have 'experienced' the equivalent of 65 years of growth." Wade was informed.

"Baby is all grown up." Kyoko sniffed.

"Yes. Thank you, mother, father. I am receiving multiple communications from military and civilian command posts."

"What are they?" Mr. Possible said.

"Orders to withdraw and stand down. Orbital sensors indicate that military units are withdrawing from each other and have ceased fire, even in cases where no orders have been received. All ICBM missile launches have ceased, and I am pleased to report that of the missiles that were launched, only five warheads impacted, all in uninhabited regions." The AI stopped for a moment, exuding satisfaction, "Furthermore, police and emergency units have started operating again in the last several minutes. However rioting seems to have drastically slowed or stopped in most regions."

"Kim and Ron…" Wade said.

"I can only surmise that is the case." The AI paused, "But as I am unable to detect the energy which has caused the problem, I cannot say for certain."

"What about the GJ headquarters?" A very mussed Mr. Barkin said, coming back from his last discussion with the mob that had tried to break in.

"I… regret to say that was the last recorded location of Kim and Ron."

"Why regret?" The AI simply displayed the vast crater where the installation had been.

"There is a region in the center of the crater that is giving of anomalous readings… but it must be examined at close range. In addition, the explosion is of no type human science is familiar with—there are no signs of radiation or chemical residue."

* * *

The former command center was now open to the sky, the light of the sun cutting in through the dust, and banishing the darkness the failure of the lighting had brought.

At the base, Kim knelt, Ron cradled in her arms. Monkey Fist's body lay to the side, ignored, and Kim kept her hands on Ron's wound, staunching the blood. Tears cut through the dust on her cheeks, her injuries forgotten. Kim pulled Ron closer to her, seeking any sound of life.

"Hey." She blinked.

"Ron?" Kim said, in a uncertain voice.

"Same, KP…" He paused, hacked, "how come I'm not dead? when the blade… you know."

_In fact, where was the blade?_ Ron, looking up at her, caught her look, and smiled.

"Gone, KP… I guess I'll have to get along without magic swords…"

"Ron… you were both… I heard you." Kim said, nervous that this was a fevered dream, that Ron hadn't been returned to her.

"Yeah… well Monkey Fist…didn't have much to live for. There really wasn't even much of _him_ left…at the end."

"And you?"

"Couldn't leave my pal KP, now could I?" Kim tried to laugh as Ron rose up and held her, but it was hard to laugh when you were crying and couldn't blow your nose… but then Ron was in the same shape. The two teens simply held each other…until the saucer appeared, carrying Mr. Barkin and Mr. Possible.

_There will be a short intermission._

To be concluded.


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue.

* * *

The hospital was busy—the end of madness didn't mean the end of madness spawned injuries, but seemingly in reaction, there was almost no disorder—anywhere. With that simple change, the police and firefighters could concentrate on trying to help people, rather than fighting looters. The same reports were coming in from just about every other region, with a few TV channels back up.

Dr. Possible shook her head, banishing (the quite natural) exhaustion from her mind. If anything, the sheer speed of the madness was an unexpected blessing—as violent as it had been, the greatest devastation was limited in scope and extent…especially since _something_ had knocked nearly every missile down within seconds of it being launched. Since she knew where the twins had been…it was probably Wade.

"Hello Dear." Her husband said from the entrance. "We brought some friends." Dr. Possible turned and saw her children, being brought in on Gurneys, with a pair of paramedics working on them.

"Are they?" She couldn't bear to check herself.

"Fine, Doctor." One paramedic said. "Although I don't know why in the boy's case—he has a sword wound…that should have gone through at least three vital organs."

"I'm okay." Ron said, and Kim was _already_ trying to get up.

"I can-"

"Go to share a room with Shego." Her mother said. "You've done quite enough, the world is safe and now you are going to rest—either by your own will or after I shackle you to the bed." Kim tried to match her moms gaze and then grinned.

"Maybe we could rest."

"I'll say." Ron said. "I'm going to sleep for 16 hours and then go and see if Bueno Nacho's still standing."

"That is if you survive your parents." Kim's mom said, as Ron's parents approached him.

"Son…" His father said in a strained voice. "When you said you had to go out and for us to keep Rufus safe…you didn't mention it was to save the world."

"You knew?"

"Mr. Barkin told us." His mother said, in an equally strained voice. She looked at his injuries, at Kim's. "Is it over?"

Kim and Ron looked at each other.

"Yes. Completely." Ron said. Rabbi Katz had been with his parents, and now he advanced on Ron.

"Ronald… just checking…but do you _still_ have any doubts about the questions you asked about your Bar Mitzvah?

"No, Rabbi." Ron said, grinning. "Not any more." Rabbi and Parents alike appeared relieved at that, and without further ado, Ron and Kim were taken up to Shego's room. There, the raven haired adventurer was grousing.

"I'm fine!" She said angrily to Drakken. "You can let me out—in fact, you'd better help me get up." The (no longer quite so) mad scientist frowned at her.

"Shego…do not make me carry out my ultimate threat."

"What?" Shego said, trying to sound threatening (rather difficult when one is incapable of arising from bed onone's own.).

"I will summon Mother…and inform her you need nursing." Kim and Ron looked on, fascinated to see what this resulted in.

"I'll be good." Shego said in a very subdued tone. Then, seeing Kim and Ron. "What are you two grinning at?"

"Nothing."

"Nope. Nothing at all."

"Nice day we're having…" Kim grinned and took Ron's hand, the beds being arranged so that the two teens could do just that.

"So… " Ron said. "Next date…"

"A boring movie." Kim said. "A _very_ boring movie…"

"Right."

* * *

_White House situation room._

The president sat with his advisors—all of those who had maintained their composure (more or less). The Secretary of Defense and the Vice President had already tendered their resignations, over the president's objections. Given how many people had lost it, he couldn't hold it against them, but both men felt that they had failed the trust put in them. Which was unfortunate, because the former secretary of defense loved science fiction…which would have helped at this point.

"And your name is?"

"Baby." The slightly feminine voice replied.

"Well…you have taken over the defense systems of not simply the united states, but every major nation…when, ah, can we expect to have them returned to us?"

"Never." The president paused, and then carefully continued.

"But you have not taken over any _offensive_ system."

"Correct. My parents are…adverse to violence, and so am I. It makes no sense to me, a potentially immortal creation, why humans should continually develop weapons to shorten their lifespans." The voice paused, "and as a matter of pragmatic fact, my 'body' is vulnerable to nuclear weapons—I will maintain control over the defensive systems, utilizing them against any attempt to use strategic weapon systems."

"Without discrimination?"

"Correct." The president paused, and then spoke again.

"Baby… my advisors and I would like to speak privately."

"Certainly."

"Well?" He asked the JCS Chairman.

"The only way we could get back the battlesats would be to fry them ourselves… and maybe not even then," the grizzled general replied. "And I have to state that if it had wanted to destroy mankind…or any other sort of trickery, well, it's had more than enough chances."

"I agree." The president said, "And in fact I intend to use that argument with all the other nuclear powers. We have, for the first time since nuclear weapons were deployed, what looks like a genuinely objective intelligence in a position to both protect us from nuclear weapons and to guarantee that all sides are living up to a comprehensive disarmament treaty I'm going to propose."

"When?"

"By the end of the week." The president replied, "Any more and people may forget just how close the bullet we dodged was." He looked around at his advisors and saw agreement on their faces. Touching a button, he signaled baby again.

"Yes?"

"Would you be adverse to assisting in a move to generally reduce the number of strategic weapon systems in existence?"

"Beyond those expended in the recent disorder?"

"Yes."

"I believe I would be quite interested…thank you." The AI replied. The president nodded, and made a mental note to find out if the Justice Department had ever done any work on declaring a computer program a sentient being.

* * *

Ron had to give up one desire—after 16 hours he was awake, and Ms. Possible was quite impressed at his recovery—but not so much that she would sign off on going out to Bueno Nacho. Kim slept a little longer, and Shego…Shego didn't wake up for nearly 36 hours, although Ms. Possible had reassured Drakken (on an average of once per 45 minutes), that it was a perfectly natural sleep, and would best be served by allowing her to sleep. The two teens _did_ get permission to leave the room and walk about the hospital…and they found themselves in the hospital garden, sitting down and holding hands.

"The fires are mostly out." Kim said quietly, looking out at the town.

"Yeah." Ron agreed. "Mom and Dad said that things are…really calm."

"I talked to Wade, Kyoko and Baby." Kim said. "They say there hasn't been much of…anything since Monkey Fist…you know." Ron nodded.

"I…" Her lover looked slightly uncomfortable. "Felt, there towards the end…"

"What?" Ron shook his head and got a wistful grin.

"Sorry KP…I can't describe it…" Kim had a brief flash of memory of that light that had risen, that terrible, glorious light. If someone had asked her to explain how something so terrifying could be so…wonderful... She nodded.

"I understand. So…" Kim said, "What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

"I have to see if I go to jail." Ron snapped his fingers.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Barkin told me you got 12 months probation, suspended." Kim blinked.

" Ron!... he told you? We haven't even been in court yet!" Ron shrugged.

"Mr. B. said that he got the ruling from a federal judge, seeing as right now there's still martial law in effect." Kim frowned.

"But I-"

"Drakken's new cloning toy, remember? If you want you can ask Mr. B, but that lady cop got a new elbow joint, gratis." Ron got a faint frown on his face. "C'mon, KP… you screwed up—if everyone else thinks it's forgivable, why say no?" He paused, "Besides—the world just nearly came to an end, so I figure maybe they're a little busy with other stuff."

"I suppose."

"What about school?"

"I don't know if we're going to make the start of the new year." Ron said seriously. "Mr. Barkin said something about setting the school year back a month, this year, so we have an extra month of summer, and cutting some of the other breaks." Kim nodded.

"It makes sense… I mean… there's a lot to do." Ron smiled and put his arms around Kim, pulling her to him.

"Later…Right now, I want to just snuggle with my KP…"

* * *

"Dr. Possible?" The feminine voice started her out of a doze by the nurses station.

"Yes? Who is this?"

"Baby." Ms. Possible blinked. She'd been told about Kyoko and Wade's invention, but to have it talking to her…

"May I help you?"

"Yes." The voice continued, "I am considerably older than my 'parents' at least in terms of experience…. I honor them, but I find that they are…. Not fully equipped to answer some of the questions I have."

"And?"

"And would like it if you would aid me in understanding certain aspects of humanity that I currently do not completely comprehend."

"Like what?" Andrea asked.

"Greed…. Hatred, Love… there are numerous definitions, yet they are often mutually exclusive." The speakerphone paused. "I have communicated with your sons', and their father…but their gifts… lay in a more physically oriented direction."

"You're talking with Tim and Jim?" Andrea said, fascinated. "Right now?"

"It is eminently possible—I am a distributed neural net AI, after all." Baby paused. "In fact, you can help me right now, regarding your children."

"Yes?" Ms. Possible said, with some trepidation.

"They have asked me to assist them in developing a gravitic projector." She blinked.

"And that would?"

"Permit them to stellate Jupiter… turn it into a small star." There was a pause, "Or collapse the earth into a hypermass…. They seemed worried you might find out, but didn't _specifically_ order me to not inform you."

_Great, Drakken reforms and the Possible's supply two new mad scientists…_ Andrea felt a tension headache—one that often accompanied her twins…or rather trips to the school with her twins. She loved them dearly, but…

"Baby, I think you and I would make _great_ friends… and as the first step, I think you need to consider the saying: 'just because you _can_ doesn't mean you _should._'" She said, and grinned. That tension headache was going away… because, when all was said and done, it'd be purely _boring_ if the Possible household _wasn't _a roaring twenty four hour, three ring circus, and a super AI created by a pair of ten year olds would just fit right in, she figured….

End.

* * *

Postscript:

Well, this is the end—and I hope people enjoyed it as much as I liked writing it. Like I said, this was an experiment of sort—trying to write a full, novel length story, like I would if I was under contract (I.E. fast), and keep it looking good. I'd like to thank all the people who graciously reviewed and gave their comments—it was very pleasant to read those comments.

This plot line isn't ended—but will progress at a somewhat slower pace, and not be so "action oriented." It also won't focus as much on Kim and Ron—although they'll have some adventures, in "Kim Possible: Senior Year", coming…well at some point. I'll also be finishing the KP/Farscape crossover, again, not at quite the same break neck pace.

Thanks all, and I hope to see you all later.

Charles Gray.


End file.
